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Shape Adaptable and Deployable Helical Antennas for Portable Communications
Physical reconfiguration of antenna structures promises a more lightweight and power efficient strategy to achieve on-demand performance. This thesis will focus on the realization of a deployable and shape adaptable helical structure to demonstrate this concept.
**Background**
Shape adaptable helical structures are promising for the realization of physically reconfigurable antennas with on-demand performance. This approach to changing antenna performance is promising to be more lightweight and power efficient than traditional techniques using large numbers of electrical switches. Such antennas are very promising for application in portable communications in areas with limited infrastructures. In this case, on-demand performance will allow for the antenna to adapt to its environment, in-stead of necessitating a custom, costly solution for each application.
However, realizing the required shape morphing presents several challenges: achieving simultaneously deformable and load-carrying structures, fabrication of complex shapes using lightweight stiff materials, such as fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, and the actuation of these structures. As such, no solution exists which simultaneously, lightweight, portable, and has adaptable performance.
**Motivation**
Several shape adaptation techniques previously proposed at CMASLab are expected to provide good solutions to this problem, including mechanical metamaterial and pre-stressed shell approaches. In addition to this, several concepts exist in literature for re-configurable helices. However, combination of such structures with an efficient fabrication technique, integration of a conductive element, and actuation of the structure is still lacking. In addition, an antenna structure with is both deployable and reconfigurable has not yet been proposed. This feature is critical for portable applications, as the antenna structures can be quite large.
**Background** Shape adaptable helical structures are promising for the realization of physically reconfigurable antennas with on-demand performance. This approach to changing antenna performance is promising to be more lightweight and power efficient than traditional techniques using large numbers of electrical switches. Such antennas are very promising for application in portable communications in areas with limited infrastructures. In this case, on-demand performance will allow for the antenna to adapt to its environment, in-stead of necessitating a custom, costly solution for each application. However, realizing the required shape morphing presents several challenges: achieving simultaneously deformable and load-carrying structures, fabrication of complex shapes using lightweight stiff materials, such as fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, and the actuation of these structures. As such, no solution exists which simultaneously, lightweight, portable, and has adaptable performance.
**Motivation** Several shape adaptation techniques previously proposed at CMASLab are expected to provide good solutions to this problem, including mechanical metamaterial and pre-stressed shell approaches. In addition to this, several concepts exist in literature for re-configurable helices. However, combination of such structures with an efficient fabrication technique, integration of a conductive element, and actuation of the structure is still lacking. In addition, an antenna structure with is both deployable and reconfigurable has not yet been proposed. This feature is critical for portable applications, as the antenna structures can be quite large.
The goal of this thesis is to realize a shape adaptable helical antenna structure that is both deployable and reconfigurable. This thesis will focus on the mechanical aspects of the structure, while the antenna design and testing will be done by a project partner. The thesis tasks include:
- Literature review on actuation methods for shells and other lightweight structures, shape adaptability, multistability
- Design and rapid prototyping of deployment and reconfiguration schemes
- Selection of appropriate concept
- Integration of conductive elements and electronics into selected concepts
- Actuation schemes for selected concepts
- Finite element simulations and mechanical testing of selected concepts
The goal of this thesis is to realize a shape adaptable helical antenna structure that is both deployable and reconfigurable. This thesis will focus on the mechanical aspects of the structure, while the antenna design and testing will be done by a project partner. The thesis tasks include:
- Literature review on actuation methods for shells and other lightweight structures, shape adaptability, multistability
- Design and rapid prototyping of deployment and reconfiguration schemes
- Selection of appropriate concept
- Integration of conductive elements and electronics into selected concepts
- Actuation schemes for selected concepts
- Finite element simulations and mechanical testing of selected concepts
Dr. Maria Sakovsky
LEE O 204
Leonhardstrasse 21
8092 Zürich
msakovsky@ethz.ch
Phone: +41 44 633 61 49
Dr. Maria Sakovsky LEE O 204 Leonhardstrasse 21 8092 Zürich